1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a car wax for use in the maintenance and care of exterior automobile parts made of a low gloss synthetic resin. More specifically, the invention relates to a non-color-toned car wax for use in the maintenance of low gloss synthetic resins such as polypropylene or polyurethane which is used in the manufacture of such exterior automobile components such as bumpers. These components differ from components which are made of steel and are coated with a synthetic material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As prescribed in JIS-K 2236-1974 (Japan Industrial Standard), the conventional car-polishing waxes available for automobiles are used for cleaning and polishing the smoothly coated surfaces of automobile bodies. The maintenance or care of a smooth surface such as the surface of a steel exterior panel is accomplished by removing the degraded surface portion together with dirt to produce a fresh coating, and then forming a protecting film of wax thereon to restore a smooth surface to the panel. When the surface of a steel panel is waxed, the wax functions to smoothen the reflection of light on the surface of the panel or to smoothen the refraction of transmitted light near the surface. However, conventional waxes are not suitable for the maintenance of the finishes of low gloss synthetic resin substrates which have uneven, rather than smooth, surfaces. In the preparation of exterior automobile parts from a synthetic resin factors such as surface configuration, and gloss and color may be selected and changed more freely in comparison to parts formed from steel. A variety of finishing techniques may be used for the finishing of synthetic resin parts. For example, the resin exterior parts may be coated, colored in a variety of colors, or the surfaces of the parts may be finished flat or uneven. Accordingly, parts prepared from synthetic resins should be maintained and cared for by different techniques than those used for the maintenance of coated smooth surfaces. For instance, when a conventional car wax is used for the finishing of synthetic resin parts which do not have smooth surfaces, the surfaces of the parts become white because the wax fills in the depressions or pits of the uneven surfaces, thereby impairing the appearance and degrading the cleanliness and freshness of the synthetic resin part.
Conventionally, the problems involved in waxing the coat on a steel plate having high lustre have been avoided as follows:
(1) polishing is repeatedly carried out until the blur which is likely to deteriorate the lustre of the coat is diminished; PA1 (2) the thickness of the wax film after polishing is from 10 mm.mu., to up to 30 mm.mu. at the thickest; and PA1 (3) the steel plate is designed for flat or even surfaces. PA1 (a) Dust and dirt are likely to be left in the depressions and on the peaks of the uneven surfaces of the resin parts, even after washing with water or the like, thereby impairing the appearance of the resin parts. PA1 (b) Scratches which occur on resin parts appear as undesirable white marks on the surfaces of the resin parts, thereby reducing the freshness of the appearance of the parts.
However, since uncoated resin exterior parts are textured in depths of tens of microns, and scratches are likely to be formed thereon, the wax will clog in depressed portions and adequate polishing will be impossible.
Coloration of uncoated resin exterior parts which have low gloss appearance owing to the textured finishing or which have not been subjected to a mirror surface finishing treatment is based on absorption and scattering of light on the surfaces of the parts. Accordingly, if color toning is carefully performed so that once the applied car wax has been dried, it has the same color as that of the substrate, disadvantages in the maintenance and care by the conventional wax will be eliminated.
The problem encountered in the maintenance and care of the above-mentioned low gloss resin exterior parts is that the dirt remaining in the depressed portions and the scratches impairs the appearance. From this viewpoint, a car wax having a color suitable for repairing, that is, to sufficiently hide the remaining dirt or scratches, but which does not cause the whitening after the coating, will be most effective for the maintenance and care of the low gloss resin exterior parts.
However, selection of a wax having a suitable color is difficult because the inherent color of the low glass resin becomes indistinguishable due to dirt, scratches in the resin, and deterioration of the resin. If a car wax having an unsuitable color is coated onto the surfaces of the resin parts, the same or similar disadvantages as described above in connection with an ordinary color wax will exist. Furthermore, in the case of resin exterior parts which have been subjected to a plurality of finishing treatments, a car wax to be applied to the portions having a high gloss because of the coating treatment or the like need not particularly be colored. Moreover, it is necessary to perform the troublesome operation of selectively applying an appropriately color-toned car wax to a low gloss portion while applying a non-color-toned car wax to a high gloss portion (coated portion).
The foregoing description illustrates that an ordinary car wax causing whitening is not suitable for use on resin exterior parts, while an appropriately color-toned car wax not causing whitening may be suitably used. However, the application range of such a car wax is restricted and improper application may cause problems.
A need therefore continues to exist for a wax formulation which may be applied satisfactorily to the surfaces of shaped synthetic resin objects.